Oleksandr Usyk Upsets Anthony Joshua to Upend Heavyweight Boxing Picture

Anthony Joshua needed a knockout.

Entering the final round of his heavyweight title defense against Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua, a power-punching 31-year-old from London, and one of boxing’s largest global stars, trailed on the judges’ scorecards, losing rounds early to a smaller, craftier challenger. When the bell sounded, he pressed forward.

But Usyk closed the show.

Usyk, an undefeated 34-year-old from Ukraine, landed a left and right early, quieting the crowd at a sold-out Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Late in the 12th, Usyk wobbled Joshua with a left hand, and a two-handed flurry of punches sent Joshua to the ropes as the final bell approached.

That emphatic last round carried Usyk to a unanimous decision win in a fight most observers expected him to lose. The judges scored the bout 117-112, 116-112, and 115-113, all for Usyk.

The outcome quieted the roughly 70,000 spectators present, most of whom supported Joshua by singing in unison through the early rounds. But it didn’t surprise Usyk, a former undisputed cruiserweight champion who moved up to heavyweight in 2019.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/25/sports/oleksandr-usyk-anthony-joshua-upset.html